Thenford: There appears to have been a "villa" half a mile E of the village in fields called Flaxlands and Stonegreen on the top of a slope which falls away steeply westwards and immediately south (sic) of the walled garden of Thenford House (ie SP 525417). The surface is still strewn with brick and pottery and in ploughing along the top of a pavement several "fireplaces" are said to have been found. (2)

Two fields called Stonegreen and Flaxlands about half a mile E of Thenford, abound in vestigia of Roman occupation. Foundations, tesserae, and coins are frequently found, the latter from Tetricus to Constans. Portions of hypocausts, very disturbed, were found by Baker. (3)

"Skeletons have been found in Mr Severne's garden, on the north (sic) side of Stone Green" (The Severne family being owners of Thenford House - Baker). Two sources therefore point to the site being south of the walled garden; positioning north of the garden relies on a Correspondent's 6" by R J C Atkinson who makes reference to VCH but gives no supporting authority for his siting). (4)

Northampton Museum hold flue tile from this site. (5)

Mr D J Barrett, 6 Field View, Marston St Lawrence, a local amateur archaeologist indicated the site of the Ro building at SP 52524158 and said that over the last ten years he has found much RB occupation material from the area indicated on the OS 6". The finds, all in his possession, include colour coated, grey, gritted, samian and mortarium sherds, tile, wall plaster, 3rd c coins etc. Finds made during field investigation confirm the above area. (6)

Field name survey (1932) and Enclosure field names (1765) (both held by CRO Northampton) made no mention of "Flaxlands" and "Stoneygreen". (7)

A Roman villa near Thenford (SP 525415) has been excavated by the Oxford University Archaeological Society under the direction of Ian Sanders. A fine mosaic was discovered in a corridor; adjacent to it is a room with a hypocaust and a simple three room bath suite had been added to the N end of the building. To the south is an earlier building of unknown extent. There is evidence of 5th century occupation in the form of a courtyard laid over the levelled remains of the buildings (8). Mr Sanders has not yet had time to work on all the material. Plan supplied. (8-9)

Brief reports of containing excavation. (10-11)

Iron Age and Roman settlement and Roman villa (SP 52524158) lie E of the village, on Marlstone Rock at 130 m. above OD. Excavations between 1971 and 1973 revealed a villa with four main phases of occupation. The earliest phase was an Iron Age ditch which was overlaid by a large stone building, possibly an early villa or agricultural building. This structure later had a room and a corridor added to it. Around AD 300 the main villa was erected to the N of the earlier building. It consisted of a range of six rooms one of which contained a fine mosaic. The villa was later extended to the S to meet the earlier building and another whole building was later demolished and levelled to make a courtyard. The mosaic is preserved in Thenford House. The villa lies on the W edge of a large area of Roman occupation debris, some 10 hectares in extent, including a dense spread of pottery and tiles (centred SP 526416). (12)

Listed in gazetteer of Roman villas. (13)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1955

( 2) edited by W Ryland, D Adkins and R M Serjeantson 1902 The Victoria history of the county of Northampton: volume one